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J. W. EASTON. LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

No. 449,903. Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

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wmwoao QQQWQW Mm, Mf val UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES \VATSON EASTON, OF NElV YORK, N. 'Y., ASSIGNOR TO P. MIN"URNSMITH, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, AND VILLTAM D. PERRY, OF BROOKLYN,NElV YORK.

LlGHTNlNG-ARRESTER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.449,903, dated April 7, 1891.

Application filed August 14, 1890. Serial No. 861,967. (No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern: between the electrodes; and to thisenditcon- 50 Be itknown thatl, JAMES lVATsON EASTON, sists in the novelcombination of parts and a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,rearrangement and construction of details siding in the city, county,and State of New herein shown and described, and specifically York, haveinvented a certain new and usepointed out in the claims.

ful Improvement in Lightning-Arresters, of In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is 55 which the following is a full, clear, and exact a View inelevation of my invention. Fig. 2 description, reference being had tothe acis a detail view thereof, showing the mechancompanying drawings,forming part of this ism for separating the electrodes. Fig. 3 is a [OSpecificationplan'view thereof from beneath. Fig. is a My inventionrelates to that class of lightside view of the mechanism for supporting6o ning-arresters which comprises two electhe stationary electrode, andFig. 5 shows a trodes, one connected with the working-cirmodification ofthe construction of the deeuit and the other having a ground connecvicefor separating the electrodes.

I 5 tion, separated sufficiently to prevent the pas The samereference-letters are used to dessage of the working-current underordinary ignate corresponding parts in all the views. 65 conditions, butnot enough to oppose any ma- Referring to Figs. 1 to a, A is asupporting terial resistance to the passage of the an board or plate, towhich the solenoid or elecnormal current caused by thelightningtro-magnct B is secured in any convenient 2o stroke. manner.The core of the solenoid is sup- The chief difficulty experienced withdcported within the guide-tube D, upon which 70 vices of this nature hasheretofore existed in the coil E is wound, by the plunger F. The thetendency of the normal current of the circoil E is wound in the usualmanner, and one cuit to followin the path of the current caused terminalthereof is in electrical connection by the lightning-stroke and form apermawith the main circuit, while the other terminent are between theelectrodes of the appanal thereof is preferably connected with the 75ratus. This objectionable operation is due frame I) of the solenoid, towhich is secured to the fact that the passage of the abnormal theelectrode-clamp (G by pivot g. The clamp current caused by thelightning-stroke heats G is provided with a suitable socket for retheelectrodes, and while passing between ceiving the electrode ll, formedpreferably of them fills the space which normallyseparates carbon, whichis adjustably secured therein 80 them with finely-divided particles ofthe hot by the set-screw g, and said clamp is also carbon or othermaterial composing them, provided with a cam-shaped projection 9 Athereby reducing the resistance thereof suflichain or other flexibleconnection 9 extends eiently to permit the forming of the are by fromthe lower end of the plunger F to the the ordinary working-current.Means for upper surface of said cam, the edge of which 8 destroying theare so formed are therefore esis preferably formed with a groove orchannel sential to the successful operation of such an to prevent thechain from being displaced.

arrester, and this has usually been acconi- The stationary electrode I,also preferably of plished either manually or by the employcarbon, issecured within the clamp J by the mentof complex devices liable toderangeset-screw j. The clamp J is provided with a 0 ment and tointerfere with the successful opshank j, which is screw-threaded andenters erat-ion of the arrestcr. a hole tapped in the contact-piece jfrom The object of my invention is the proviswhich a suitable conductorleads to the earth,

ion of simple and eiiicient means for deas shown in Fig. 1. The clanip Jmay thus stroying this are or preventing its formation be adjusted so asto support the electrode I 5 in the first instance by automaticallysepa= at any desired distance from the support A, rating the carbons assoon as the abnormal and a jam-nutj serves to secure it in the pocurrentcaused by thelightning-stroke passes sition at which it may be adjusted.The

frame 0 of the solenoid and the clamps G and J are preferablyconstructedof good conducting material, such as brass, so that a complete metallicconnection is formed between the main line and the earth, except for theslight space which separates the extremities h and 1. of the electrodes.

If desired, an ordinary electro-magnet may be substituted for thesolenoid, as shown in Fig. 5, in which 12 represents the poles of themagnet and g the armature, which is secured to the carbon-clamp G.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The arrester having beenproperly located, connections are made between the electrode H and themain circuit and the electrode Iand the earth, as shown in Fig. 1. Theextremities of the electrodes are then adjusted at a sufiicient distanceapart, so that the normal current of the circuit will not pass betweenthem. This distance for ordinary working-currents is generally not morethan one-tenth of an inch and is not suflicient to ofier any materialresistance to the abnormal current caused by astroke of lightning. Undernormal conditions, therefore, the arrester is entirely inactive; but ifthe main line he struck by light ning the current, which has a tendencyto seek the path of least resistance to the earth, will pass through thecoils E to the electrode II and across to the electrode I, and thence tothe earth. The completion of this circuit energizes the coils E, whichcauses the cores 0 to be drawn down into the coils. This movement of thecore will depress the plunger F, the projection will be pulleddown,'owing to the connection g between it and the lower end of theplunger, and the clamp G will be partially rotated on the pivot g,swinging the lower end of electrode H away from the electrode I in thedirection shown by the arrowx in Fig. 1. This separation of theelectrodes of course breaks the electrical circuit, the coil E isde-energized, and the electrode H immediately swings back again to itsnormal position. In this manner the normal workingcurrent is preventedfrom following in the path of the abnormal current caused by thelightning-stroke,and if through any cause an arc should have been formedbetween the electrodes before they are suifieiently separated to preventit the are will be immediately broken and will not re-form again whenthe electrode returns to its original position.

By pivoting the clamp G below the solenoid the action of the apparatusis much more positive, prompt, and direct than where the connections aremade above the solenoid, and by my arrangement the maximum effect of thecoil is instantly secured.

Another desirable feature of my invention is the provision of thecam-shaped surface g on the clamp G, whereby as the power required toseparate the electrodes becomes greater, owing to the movement of theelee trode H toward a horizontal position,the leverage of the clamp G isalso increased. This feature positively insures the disruption of theare and the breaking of the circuit.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lightning-arrester, the combination of the solenoid B, the core0, the plunger F, supporting said core, the swinging electrodeclamp G,pivoted below the coil of the solenoid, connections between said plungerand said clamp, the electrode II, secured in said clamp, and theelectrode I, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a lightning-arrester, the combination, with the electrodes H andI, of the solenoid B, the core G, the plunger F, supporting said core,the swinging electrode-clamp G, provided with a cam-shaped surface g anda flexible connection between said clamp and said core arranged toengage with the cam-shaped surface of the clam p G, so that the leverageof the clamp is increased as the power required to

